How the 2022 NFL Trade Deadline Works on November 1 and the Rules (2024)

How the 2022 NFL Trade Deadline works, when is it and the rules originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

We are in the midst of the 2022 NFL regular season and so far, the Philadelphia Eagles, who remain the last undefeated team this season, are leading the herd.

November is approaching, which means the 2022 NFL trade deadline is right around the corner.

Ahead of the deadline, the Browns have already acquired former Pro Bowl linebacker Deion Jones from the Falcons, theChiefs acquired wide receiver Kadarius Toney from the Giants and the Eagles took edge Robert Quinn from the Bears, to name a few moves within the league thus far.

As the big deadline approaches, here's everything you need to know about the rules:

When is the 2022 NFL trade deadline?

The 2022 trade deadline is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 4 p.m. ET, following Week 8 of the season.

What are the NFL trade deadline rules?

The NFL has a set of rules, or players’ rights, between the Players Association and the franchise owners. These rules are governed by a collective bargaining agreement, or CBA. The most recent CBA agreement was launched in March of 2020 and will extend through the 2030 season.

There are five categories to a players’ rights, including trade eligibility, trade procedure, trade limitations, waivers and transfer.

Here’s a look at what each of these categories mean for NFL players’ rights:

Trade eligibility

Any NFL player can have his contract assigned to another club (via trade) at any point, regardless of the experience of the player. This rule pertains unless his agent negotiated a no-trade clause into his standard player contract’s special provision portion.

If a club wants to perform a trade with a player who has a no-trade provision, they have to get the player’s permission to waive this provision.

Trade procedure

When two teams reach an agreement to trade a player with a no-trade provision, the team has to gain written permission from the player and his agent.

The player at hand can elect to waive the provision and accept the trade, or he can veto the trade by way of the provision already in place. The player can veto the trade for any reason, unless the provision specifically says something different.

Trade limitations

Both teams must understand how salary-cap issues impact teams.

In the 2020 CBA agreement, the limitation rule called the “Final Eight Plan” was removed. This rule was decided and embedded in the 2010 CBA to encourage competitive balance by limiting the best teams from getting significantly better.

The rule said: A team could not trade a player to any of the eight teams from the divisional playoffs from the previous season, unless one of those teams lost a player to unrestricted free agency.

Waivers

NFL players can be waived by their current team if their skills decline.

If a player is waived between Feb. 1 and the trade deadline (which is on Nov. 1 in 2022), the player is allowed to negotiate a new contract with any team of their choice.

If a team waives a player after the deadline, the player is subject to the waiver claim process, which is done by reverse order of the NFL standings. This process grants players additional rights based on whether or not he has a no-trade provision in his player contract.

Transfer

If an NFL player is traded to another team, his salaries, rights, obligation and special provisions must transfer to the new club he is on.

How are new rules impacting the NFL trade deadline?

The new CBA allows players to hit unrestricted free agency after playing for four years (or five for first-round picks who had their option picked up). Teams will be provided an exception for a single franchise player each year.

The NFLPA agreed to a salary cap of $208.2 million, based on projected revenues.

Are NFL teams still able to make trades after the deadline?

No, they are not. Teams are permitted to discuss trades to work out the details ahead of time. However, they cannot make deals official until the start of the new league year, which usually begins in March.

Players may still find themselves on a new team deadline via the waiver process.